O.J. Simpson takes witness stand in bid for new robbery trial

May 15, 2013|Reuters

By Timothy Pratt

LAS VEGAS, May 15 (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson, the formerfootball star famously acquitted of murder in 1995, took thewitness stand in a Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday seeking anew trial in an armed-robbery case that sent him to prison fiveyears ago.

Simpson, 65, was called to testify in the third day of ahearing into his claims that the lawyer who served as hisdefense attorney mishandled the Nevada robbery case.

He was brought to court from a Nevada prison where he isserving a sentence of up to 33 years for the 2007 incident inwhich he and five other men stormed into a room at the PalaceStation Hotel and Casino and took thousands of dollars inmemorabilia from a pair of sports collectors at gunpoint.

Defense lawyers argued unsuccessfully that Simpson was onlytrying to retrieve his own stolen possessions and was not awarethat an accomplice had brought a gun along. He was found guiltyon 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping.

Under questioning from his new lawyer on Wednesday, Simpsonsaid the items in question were personal property he wanted toretrieve, and believed were exempt from a $33.5 million civiljudgment against him from the deaths of his ex-wife and herfriend.

Simpson appeared older, grayer and heavier after five yearsbehind bars as he sat in the witness box.

Simpson's current attorneys have asked a judge to throw outhis 2008 conviction, saying his trial lawyer, Yale Galanter, hada conflict of interest because he knew in advance that Simpsonplanned to confront the sports dealers at the hotel.

They also argue that Galanter never told Simpson thatprosecutors had offered a plea deal in which he would have beensentenced to two to five years in prison.

Simpson's 43-year-old daughter, Arnelle, took the witnessstand on Monday, testifying that her father had been drinkingheavily during the weekend of the incident.

A separate appeal by Simpson of his conviction in the case was rejected by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2010.

Simpson, a former star NFL running back turned TV pitchmanand actor, was accused of the 1994 stabbing and slashing murdersof his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend RonaldGoldman.

He was acquitted in 1995 after sensational proceeding dubbedthe "Trial of the Century" in the press that was carried livegavel-to-gavel on U.S. television.

But a civil jury later found him liable for the deaths ofhis former spouse and Goldman in a wrongful death lawsuit,awarding their families $33.5 million in damages.